1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to circuit breakers, and more particularly, to pluggable circuit breaker power and signaling distribution connectors.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art pluggable circuit breaker 30 having two circuit breaker posts 32 (only one shown). To create a pluggable circuit breaker, internally threaded circuit breaker pins 34 are threaded onto each of the threaded circuit breaker posts 32. On the exterior of each circuit breaker pin 34 is attached a resilient electrical contact band 36. The electrical contact band 36 is typically a thin metallic band with resilient fingers having an arcuate configuration that extend outward from the circuit breaker pin outer diameter. The addition of the circuit breaker pins 34 with outer electrical contact bands 36 to the circuit breaker 30 allows for pluggability of the circuit breaker 30 into a circuit breaker panel (FIG. 2).
The circuit breakers of the prior art conventionally plug into a circuit breaker panel 40 as show in FIG. 2. However, one aspect of assembly and replacement of the circuit breaker system is unaddressed by the prior art and involves the signaling mechanism of the circuit breaker. Conventionally, after the circuit breaker 30 is in place in the circuit breaker panel, signaling connector pins 19a, 19b, 19c (19 collectively), which in operation are used to provide an indication of the status of the circuit breaker and/or whether the circuit breaker has been tripped, have to be individually wired in the manner contemplated by the particular application. For instance, in some applications, the signaling connector pins 19a of all the circuit breakers are electrically connected together, the signaling connector pins 19b are all connected together, and the signaling connector pins 19c are all connected together. When any circuit breaker(s) is (are) tripped, the signaling connector pins 19 from that circuit breaker provide an indication that a circuit breaker--which in such a wiring configuration is unidentifiable--has been tripped. Such a signal can be monitored at a remote location to provide an indication that the system needs servicing. In other applications, the signaling connector pins can be wired individually, such that the signaling connector pins 19 will give an indication of the status of each individual circuit breaker. In that situation, the particular tripped circuit breaker can be identified.
The actual wiring of the signaling connector pins 19 may be implemented by individually soldering the pins to connection wires, or by using press fit connectors that have to be individually applied to each signaling connector pin. In either of the above situations, the wiring process of the signaling connector pins becomes laborious and time consuming, and its complexity increases the chances of mis-wiring and other malfunctions. A need therefore arises to expedite the connection of the signaling leads of the circuit breakers to thereby save time and costs in the assembly and installation of circuit breaker panels.